Physically a virus is usually blamed for a cold, flu or chest congestion. Colds are physically caused by viruses infecting the sinuses and both the oral and nasal passages. But these viruses are around us all the time. Actually being sick on a purely physical level is due to a depressed or lowered immune system. Our body is simply not able to defend itself against these common viruses. And the best prevention is to improve or support the immune system. It would be easy to look at a daily multivitamin and nutrient supplement or additional Vitamin D, which can have long term positive effects. However, let’s go beyond the usual supplements and look at some other even more basic preventative and simple restorative measures. Many people suffer from chest congestion. Chest congestion can be caused by ailments affecting the respiratory system, due to common cold or due to heart diseases. The feeling of tightness, heaviness or pressure in the chest region is considered as chest congestion. There will be restarted air flow through the air passages. Chest congestion implies to the obstruction in the flow of oxygen in to the lungs. Since chest congestion actually indicates the underlying health condition, it is necessary to seek medical diagnosis as some of the causes may be life threatening. The buildup of mucus or fluids in and around the lungs results in chest congestion. The inflammation in the lower respiratory tract is an immune response to any infection, allergy, foreign body, bacteria or virus. The mucus accumulates in the chest region causing congestion. There are a number of causes for chest congestion. They are:

Common cold

Bronchitis

Flu

Pneumonia

Pulmonary edema

Lung cancer

Airborne allergies

Heart problems

These are the common causes for the common cold.

The preventive measures for chest cold are:

Get plenty of sleep

Most people don’t get enough sleep so increase your sleep time by at least one hour. Sleep both recharges and rejuvenates the body. Sleep is especially vital for the correct functioning of the immune system and the brain. With sleep deprivation the immune function decreases when this sleep deficit is accumulated, your resistance to infection is dramatically low.

Wash your hands

Good hygiene is always appropriate and also important in preventing colds and flu. Our hands constantly come in contact with all sorts of bacteria and viruses that we unconsciously transfer to our mouth, nose and eyes. Effective hand washing is about using soap for 20 seconds. Hand washing is the first line of defense before the viruses enter in the body.

Essential oils can bring relief

Using 1-2 drops of Eucalyptus rubbed onto the chest and upper back once a day will assist you in loosening the mucus in the chest. Lavender oil drop applied directly over the Eucalyptus relaxes and sooths the lungs so that they don’t get sore and irritated with coughing. Oils have a long term cumulative effect so use them judiciously.

Get plenty of fluids

Colds are usually accompanied by a mild fever, just enough to dry out your lips. Even a mild fever causes the body to lose fluids and the mucus membrane to dry up. This creates a friendly environment for viruses to grow. Drink distilled water with ¼ teaspoon of Redman’s sea salt added to a quart of distilled water.

Chicken soup

This is one of the most common home remedies for chest congestion. Drinking hot chicken soup reduces the inflammation in the lungs. The black pepper used in soup reduces the production of mucus and soothes cough. Chicken soup helps to speed up the movement of mucus through body and it get eliminated easily.

Ginger tea

It helps in reducing the inflammation in the respiratory tract as it has analgesic and antibacterial properties. Ginger candies can be used to soothe the cough due to cold. You can also take powdered ginger along with honey to reduce the problem of throat infection and chest congestion.

Most of these home remedies for chest cold help in reducing the pain and discomfort caused by chest cold. One has to find out which one is effective for them by using different remedies. These measures should relieve your symptoms just as fast as and even better than many over the counter remedies without the subtle side-effects.